Organic growth: Expanding Through Existing Clients

I’ve seen it all too often: businesses neglecting the customers they already have, all while they continue to pursue new opportunities or try to aggressively expand in new directions. At Powerlink we believe there is a better way: there is value in growth from existing clients. Such a strategy demonstrates how to grow organically, and how to make the “power of success” work for you.

Naturally, growing through existing client relationships begins with maintaining and nurturing those relationships. It also means being up front with the customer at all times: communicating openly, honestly and clearly about your capabilities and your ability to meet their needs. Companies who do so successfully will find that when opportunities for new growth come up, they are able to take full advantage by better servicing their existing clients and expanding accordingly. Our experiences with several of our local and regional clients are a testament to how effective this kind of growth can be.

Our ability to save Henry Ford an estimated 10-15% on annual food services, housekeeping, environmental services and maintenance staffing expenses has motivated them to steadily increase their Powerlink business. Partly as a result of these efficiencies, today around half Henry Ford Hospital’s housekeeping and food service staff are Powerlink employees, and Henry Ford Medical Group’s outsources approximately 30% of its housekeeping staff through Powerlink.

We have also demonstrated to them that we have lower turnover and a more effective recruiting and retention policy in non-medical and support staff. Our work with Detroit Public Schools has saved the school system $74 million over the last five years, and, as DPS begins to privatize more of its services and operations, Powerlink has been able to help by providing hundreds of engineers. Another client, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, has gone from a small outpatient contract in 2009 to a significantly more comprehensive professional relationship that includes inpatient facility management services today.

Again, that expansion was fueled by positive results: Karmanos’ customer service scores for support services increased from 78% to 93% since partnering with Powerlink. These are all good reminders that companies looking to grow don’t have to look very far to make that happen: an existing client base is a great place to start.